FAA Part 107 allows drone operators to fly their drones for commercial purposes. This guide outlines the steps to take in order to pass your FAA Part 107 exam the first time and receive your Part 107 License.
Create an IACRA Account
The link to the IACRA website can be found here: https://iacra.faa.gov/IACRA/default.aspx
IACRA stands for Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application.
- Click the Register button if you do not already have an account or login if you already have one.
- Click on “Applicant” at the top of the screen and then “Agree to TOS and Continue.”
- Leave the First Section blank since you do not yet have your Airman Certification Number, assuming you are a new drone pilot.
- Fill out your personal information, two security questions, username, password, confirm password, and then click the “Register” button at the bottom of the screen.
- Once you have completed your IACRA profile, you will receive an email that looks like this.
Your Username and FTN number will be included in the email.
Study Resources
There are a few helpful study guides that we would recommend. You can enroll in an online course if you wish but you do not necessarily need to if you are on a budget.
Online Ground School
Two popular online courses are Drone Pilot Ground School (This online course costs $299) and Pilot Institute ($149 for lifetime access, which is a $100 discount off their normal rate of $249).
Both courses state their students have a 99% pass rate and they will refund the course cost and your exam testing fee if you do not pass the FAA Part 107 exam on the first attempt.
If you are on a budget and not looking to sign up for an online course, there are some free and lower cost options available so you can pass your FAA Part 107 exam.
FAA Remote Pilot Study Guide
This is the FAA’s official study guide and provides everything a drone pilot needs to know to pass their Part 107 exam. Here is a link to the PDF: https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/media/remote_pilot_study_guide.pdf
Prepware Remote Pilot
This app only costs $5 and we would highly recommend buying it if you do not choose to enroll in an online course. This app provides 340 practice questions and practice tests – many of which are straight from or similar to the questions on the actual Part 107 exam.
When to Schedule Your Exam
Once you read through the material and/or follow your online course guides and have gotten at least 90% on two practice exams – we recommend scheduling your test.
How to Schedule Your Exam
- Drone pilots can schedule their Part 107 exam online through PSI. Here is a link to the website: https://faa.psiexams.com/FAA/login
- Click register if you are a new user and fill out the information to setup your account. They will ask you for your personal information and FTN tracking number that you received after creating your IACRA account. Here is a helpful YouTube video to walk you through how to set up and schedule your Part 107 exam through the PSI software.
- Once you have scheduled the exam, you will receive a confirmation email with all the applicable testing appointment details. The cost to schedule the FAA Part 107 exam is $150.
- After you have passed the 107 exam, you will receive a test report with an Exam ID.
- The last step is to submit your application for a Part 107 license through your IACRA profile that you created in step 1. Remember that you are not legally certified to fly your drone for commercial purposes until you receive your temporary Part 107 license.
Applying for Your Part 107 License
- To apply for your FAA Part 107 license, start by logging into your IACRA account. Click on “Start New Application”, then Application Type “Pilot”, Certifications “Remote Pilot”, “Other Path Information”, and “Start Application.” Continue to work your way through the application and enter the 17-digit Exam ID from the knowledge test report when prompted. Do not worry about the drop down that asks for your certificate number, as you will receive this after your application receives FAA approval.
- Once the FAA processes your application, it will take approximately 10 business days for them to run your TSA background check. They will mail you out your official license once they have completed processing your application.
Once you receive your Part 107 License, you can begin flying your drone for commercial operations. Congratulations and safe flying!
*Note: The FAA a final ruling outlining some changes for drone pilots operating under Part 107. These changes include requirements for operating over people and flying at night. The executive summary can be read in its entirety here.